Lake Lanier water level
Reservoir, Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia, United States
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Surface elevation
History
202120222023202420252026
What this means
Lake Lanier is far below normal for mid-October, with the lake level at 1,063.60 ft.
The median for mid-October is 1,067.05 ft, based on 7 years of readings, so the lake level is 3.45 ft below typical. It is 21.40 ft below the flood stage of 1,085.00 ft. On the same day last year the reading was 1,066.44 ft, a difference of −2.84 ft.
It has dropped 0.05 ft over the past 24 hours. With the water still dropping, the shoreline keeps moving out. In the last month it has stayed between 1,063.59 ft and 1,064.79 ft.
Many reservoirs are drawn down through summer and fall; most of the refill comes later, with winter rain or spring snowmelt.
Reservoir on the Chattahoochee River formed by Buford Dam, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the main water supply of metro Atlanta. Full pool (top of conservation pool) is 1,071 ft.
Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 1,067.05 ft3.45 ft below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 1,064.44 ft – 1,072.06 ft8 years in 10 fall in this range (7 years of records)
- Same day last year
- 1,066.44 ft−2.84 ft
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 1,063.59 ft – 1,064.79 ft
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 1,063.63 ft – 1,066.78 ft
- Highest on record
- 1,077.15 ftApril 14, 1964
- Lowest on record
- 1,050.75 ftDecember 28, 2007
- Full pool
- 1,071.00 ft7.40 ft below full pool
On the water at Lake Lanier
A receding shoreline opens up beaches but also uncovers hazards: stumps, rocks and soft mud that are usually well under water.
Wear a life jacket on the water. Most boating deaths involve people who were not wearing one.
Weather at the gauge
No rain in the last 3 days.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee River Buford Dam near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River Buford Dam | 912.14 ft | Very low | ±0 | 8 mi |
| Chattahoochee River at Buford Dam, near BufordRiver gauge, Chattahoochee River | −0.56 ft | Very low | +0.01 ft | 8 mi |
| Richland Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near BufordRiver gauge, Richland Creek | 0.58 ft | High | +0.04 ft | 8 mi |
| Wheeler Creek at Bill Cheek Road, near AuburnRiver gauge, Wheeler Creek | 1.25 ft | Normal | +0.01 ft | 10 mi |
| Level Creek at Suwanee Dam Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Level Creek | 3.57 ft | High | −0.02 ft | 10 mi |
| Chattahoochee R 0.76 Mi Us McGinnis Fy SuwaneeRiver gauge | 1.75 ft | Very low | −0.01 ft | 13 mi |
| Apalachee River at Fence Road, near DaculaRiver gauge, Apalachee River | 0.31 ft | Normal | −0.01 ft | 13 mi |
| Dick Creek at Old Atlanta Road, near SuwaneeRiver gauge, Dick Creek | 6.20 ft | Very high | +0.16 ft | 14 mi |
Questions and answers
Is Lake Lanier higher than last year?
No, it is 2.84 ft lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1,066.44 ft.
What is a normal level for Lake Lanier in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 1,067.05 ft. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1,064.44 ft and 1,072.06 ft, based on 7 years of records.
Is Lake Lanier really 1,063.60 ft deep?
No. 1,063.60 ft is the height of the water surface above sea level (or the agency's vertical datum), not the depth of the water.
What is the water level of Lake Lanier today?
On Oct 17, 2026, 06:15 AM EDT, the surface elevation was 1,063.60 ft. Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours.
Is Lake Lanier rising or falling?
Down 0.05 ft over the last 24 hours. Down 0.22 ft over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Lake Lanier normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 7 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Lake Lanier?
The highest level on record is 1,077.15 ft on April 14, 1964. The lowest is 1,050.75 ft on December 28, 2007.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Station code
usgs:02334400(Agency page)- Coordinates
34.20000, -83.95000(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- local
- Update interval
- every 15 minutes
- Licence
- Public domain. Data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), provisional data subject to revision
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surface elevation | 1,063.60 ft | 2026-10-17 10:15 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
U.S. Geological Survey: Lake Lanier (usgs:02334400). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-states/georgia/lake-lanier
How we check values
Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer